Cal also has a website called Study Hacks that has many good study tips on it. I haven't reviewed the majority of the website but what I did look at I was definitely thought provoking.
Since I have been working on helping my students develop better study skills. I thought that the article about How to Ace Calculus: The Art of Doing Well in Technical Courses was interesting. Here is a clip from the article that really caught my attention.
How to Develop Insight
Developing insight can be hard. (Though it gets easier with practice.) Especially when you’re given a dozen new concepts per lecture. The implication: you have to invest a lot of effort during the semester — not just right before the exam — to keep up with a technical course. Every one of those concepts described in lecture has to be translated from symbols on a blackboard to a shiver-inducing deep comprehension. It’s not easy, but at least the challenge is now well-defined.
Here are some tips that can help:
- If you have a hard time understanding the material as the professor presents it, prep the concepts before class by reading the textbook.
- Ask questions when the professor loses you. Often their answer can knock you back on track to insightful understanding.
- Ask the professor or TA for clarifications immediately following lecture.
- Try to review your notes as soon as possible after class to cement insights while the information is still fresh in your brain.
- Always go to office hours. But before you show up, spend time with the troublesome concepts trying to build insight. Figure out exactly where you get stuck. This will help the TA or professor give you targeted, useful advice. Never just say: I don’t get it.”
- Keep a running list of every concept taught so far in the semester. Mark the ones that you have an insight for and the ones you don’t understand. It helps to see clearly exactly what insights you still need.
Thanks Cal for sharing your thoughts.
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